What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 5, 2002, at approximately 1400 eastern daylight time, a burkhart Grob G103 twin astir glider, N4446W, was substantially damaged after it landed short of runway 7 at the ridge soaring Gliderport (79N) Unionville, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. A witness observed the glider when it was on a short final approach for runway 7. He said the glider appeared low and touched down short of the runway in a field with crops about 2 1/2 feet high. The glider traveled about 20 feet then contacted a ditch that separated the field from the approach end of runway 7. The left wing of the glider came up and the glider pivoted on the right wing. The witness said the tail boom was fractured and remained attached to the airframe by pushrods. The witness said he talked to the pilot after the accident. According to the witness, the pilot said he lowered the glider's altitude on final approach to avoid a collision with a tow plane and glider that had just departed runway 25. The pilot said this avoidance maneuver contributed to the accident. Additionally, the witness said the winds were from the northwest at 5 to 10 knots. Two federal aviation administration (FAA) inspectors performed an examination of the glider. According to an inspector, the fuselage was fractured aft of the wings. Weather at university park airport, 4 NM southeast, at 1347, included wind from 360 degrees at 8 knots, and visibility 20 statute miles. (-23) pilot departed runway 7 at N79N, ridge soaring Gliderport with one passenger for a local flight. Pilot stated that he entered a left downwind from runway 7 and while he was on a downwind he noticed a tow plane and a glider proceeding down runway 25 for a takeoff. Pilot stated that he dove the aircraft to a lower altitude while on a downwind to plan for a landing under the departing tow plane and glider. The pilot stated that he touched down in a field short of the runway and then the aircraft contacted a ditch and the right wing hit the ground and the aircraft ground looped and damaged tail boom. Winds at the airport were 360 at 8 knots at university park airport and a witness stated that the winds at N79 was from the northwest at 5-1 0 knots.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 5, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BURKHART GROB G103 TWIN ASTIR GLIDER, N4446W, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER IT LANDED SHORT OF RUNWAY 7 AT THE RIDGE SOARING GLIDERPORT (79N) UNIONVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE GLIDER WHEN IT WAS ON A SHORT FINAL APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 7. HE SAID THE GLIDER APPEARED LOW AND TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN A FIELD WITH CROPS ABOUT 2 1/2 FEET HIGH. THE GLIDER TRAVELED ABOUT 20 FEET THEN CONTACTED A DITCH THAT SEPARATED THE FIELD FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 7. THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER CAME UP AND THE GLIDER PIVOTED ON THE RIGHT WING. THE WITNESS SAID THE TAIL BOOM WAS FRACTURED AND REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME BY PUSHRODS. THE WITNESS SAID HE TALKED TO THE PILOT AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, THE PILOT SAID HE LOWERED THE GLIDER'S ALTITUDE ON FINAL APPROACH TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH A TOW PLANE AND GLIDER THAT HAD JUST DEPARTED RUNWAY 25. THE PILOT SAID THIS AVOIDANCE MANEUVER CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY, THE WITNESS SAID THE WINDS WERE FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 5 TO 10 KNOTS. TWO FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTORS PERFORMED AN EXAMINATION OF THE GLIDER. ACCORDING TO AN INSPECTOR, THE FUSELAGE WAS FRACTURED AFT OF THE WINGS. WEATHER AT UNIVERSITY PARK AIRPORT, 4 NM SOUTHEAST, AT 1347, INCLUDED WIND FROM 360 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS, AND VISIBILITY 20 STATUTE MILES. (-23) PILOT DEPARTED RUNWAY 7 AT N79N, RIDGE SOARING GLIDERPORT WITH ONE PASSENGER FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. PILOT STATED THAT HE ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND FROM RUNWAY 7 AND WHILE HE WAS ON A DOWNWIND HE NOTICED A TOW PLANE AND A GLIDER PROCEEDING DOWN RUNWAY 25 FOR A TAKEOFF. PILOT STATED THAT HE DOVE THE AIRCRAFT TO A LOWER ALTITUDE WHILE ON A DOWNWIND TO PLAN FOR A LANDING UNDER THE DEPARTING TOW PLANE AND GLIDER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TOUCHED DOWN IN A FIELD SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED A DITCH AND THE RIGHT WING HIT THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED AND DAMAGED TAIL BOOM. WINDS AT THE AIRPORT WERE 360 AT 8 KNOTS AT UNIVERSITY PARK AIRPORT AND A WITNESS STATED THAT THE WINDS AT N79 WAS FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 5-1 0 KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.